VCSU Ranked #2 on U.S. News "America's Best Colleges" List

Aug 20th, 2009 @ 8:35 am | Author:

Valley City State University earned the #2 spot among the Top Public Baccalaureate Colleges in the Midwest in the 2010 edition of America's Best Colleges by U.S. News Media Group. This marks the 12th year in a row that VCSU has been included in the U.S. News 'Best Colleges' rankings, and is an improvement over its #4 ranking last year. VCSU is the highest ranked college in North Dakota or Minnesota in this category.

Dr. Steven Shirley, VCSU president, said, "We are very pleased to receive this recognition and view it as an affirmation of the high quality educational experiences we provide for our students. This is especially exciting as it marks our 12th consecutive year receiving this honor. VCSU students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters can all take great pride in our outstanding showing among public schools in the Midwest."

The U.S. News college rankings group more than 1,400 accredited four-year schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and compares them based on a set of 15 widely accepted indicators of excellence. Criteria in which VCSU fared exceptionally well among public schools in the Midwest included Average Freshman Retention Rate, Average Graduation Rate, Student/Faculty Ratio, Percent of Faculty Who are Full Time, and Alumni Giving Rate.

The rankings are available at www.usnews.com/colleges, and will also be published in the September issue of the U.S.News & World Report magazine.

Valley City State University (VCSU) prepares people for life through visionary leadership and exemplary practices in teaching, learning and service. VCSU is nationally acclaimed for attracting and retaining talented individuals who advance quality learning opportunities and economic growth through technology and innovation.